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Fitchburg-area Catholics stunned by pope's resignation

By Alana Melanson, amelanson@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
02/12/2013 07:07:41 AM EST

FITCHBURG -- Local Catholics and clergy were stunned Monday to learn of Pope Benedict XVI's sudden resignation, effective at the end of this month, though many feel he is doing what is right for the church and for himself.

Many also say his successor must be someone who can relate to the youth and be able to communicate with a wider audience.

Benedict, 85, cited infirmity as his reason for choosing to step down.

"I think most people were dumbfounded," said the Rev. Robert Bruso, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church. "If he was planning it, it was a secret that was very well-kept."

Canon law does allow for the pope to retire, Bruso said, and Benedict has previously said there may be times when a pope can and should resign, especially if he's too weak or infirm to carry on the duties of the papacy.

"It would appear the reason is, his physical health has diminished to the point he cannot execute the ministry to the point he feels it should be executed," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he has a diagnosis for bad health. It is pretty sudden, let's face it."

Deacon John Aliskevicz of St. Bernard's Parish at St. Camillus Church called Benedict's resignation "a big surprise."

"It hasn't happened in a little under 600 years," he said. "I think he prayed over it very hard. I don't think he made this decision lightly. In my opinion, I think it's a good decision for him. I think he realized it's hard to run the church the way you have to run it in the modern day, especially in a time of being ill. Everything runs faster than it once did.

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Bruso and Aliskevicz feel Benedict has done his job well over the last eight years. Bruso called him "one of the great theological minds of our time." He said Benedict has written many books that were accessible to the average person, and is a man of great intellect and "enormous compassion."

"When I saw the headline today, it was a surprise to say the least," said Ralph Romano, 52, of Fitchburg. "It's something that just doesn't happen."

"I feel that in this time of great change for the church, the pope must be of sound mind and body for the rigors of the job," said Mike Mahan, 34, of Leominster. "If Pope Benedict did not feel he was able to do the job effectively, then he is doing a service to all Catholics by stepping aside for another leader to steward the church."

Romano said Benedict's decision to resign was courageous and shows his humility. He also believes that it was near impossible to fill the shoes of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, whom he described as being "larger than life."

Romano saw John Paul II as a great communicator who spoke a "multitude of languages" and was very active in his younger years. John Paul II, who served as pope from 1978 until his death in 2005, entered the papacy at the age of 58, whereas Benedict was 78 when he became pope.

"The church has faced so many challenges over the years," Romano said. "First and foremost, whoever the next pope is needs to be able to communicate, and communicate to a huge audience, and in a way that is still conservative to dogma but at the same time can talk in today's language. That was something John Paul could do that Benedict could not."

Dana Procell, 38, of Fitchburg agreed. He said the church in more recent years has done "a less than fair job" at attracting and retaining younger parishioners.

"I hope that the next person they choose is more in tune with the younger members of the church, like John Paul was," Procell said. "If the church loses the young people, they have no future."

Practically speaking, Bruso said, the pope of today has to be multilingual to reach a wider audience.

"He has to speak about a dozen languages," he said. "He will have to be a communicator, to be a teacher, a father and a listener."

Bishop Robert McManus of the Diocese of Worcester said he believes Benedict "has served the Church with extraordinary wisdom, unshakable faith and undaunted courage."

"No doubt that some people will offer reasons for the Holy Father's decision to resign," McManus said in a prepared statement. "At this point, all such explanations would be mere speculation. What we can say with certainty is that the Holy Father's decision reflects his love for and commitment to promoting the good of the Church."

The church has come under harsh criticism in recent years for its handling of child sexual-abuse scandals.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston said is a prepared statement that it was "a great privilege" for him to be present when Benedict met with victims of clergy sexual abuse during a U.S. visit in April 2008.

"At that meeting the Holy Father's pastoral care for the survivors was clearly evident, as was his commitment and determination to heal the wounds of all persons impacted by the abuse crisis and to insure that the Church continues to do all that is possible to provide for the protection of children," O'Malley said in the press release.

"His fidelity to maintaining the truth and clarity of the Catholic faith, to cultivating ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and in reaching out to inspire the next generation of Catholics have been great gifts to us all," O'Malley said in reflection of Benedict's time in the papacy.

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